Advocacy Alert
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Advocacy Alert
Your voice is needed NOW to protect the Integrity of the Older Americans Act (OAA) and ensure funding for all OAA services needed by older Kansans and older Americans
Your voice is a powerful tool, and now is the time to let your legislators hear that voice loud and clear!
As the budget proposals and talks wend their way through the U.S. Congress, older Americans and their loved ones need to use their voices to encourage their legislators to support the Older Americans Act (OAA) and its services for older Kansans and Americans.
What to Know:
In early April, the Administration announced that the Administrations for Community Living (ACL) was eliminated, and the number of ACL staff was also reduced.
A draft of President Trump's FY 2026 proposed budget indicated that the Older Americans Act (OAA) programs be split into two different areas in two different departments. Advocates are concerned that fragmenting these programs will create inefficiencies and reduce coordination among key programs.
The Older Americans Act language states the goal of consolidation of OAA in one department in the US Department of Health and Human Services under leadership of the Assistant Secretary on Aging.
The draft proposal also indicates that several key OAA, elder justice and human services would be defunded.
Lawmakers in Washington D.C. need to hear from Kansans concerned about the threats to the integrity and mission of the Older Americans Act now!
What You Can do Now:
1. Call members of Congress today. Let them know that the Older Americans Act is important to you and ask them to do everything possible to ensure the integrity of the Older Americans Act is not compromised.
Ask that they do everything possible to ensure that OAA programs remain consolidated in one department - Administration for Children and Families of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and that all titles of the Older Americans Act - and other important and essential programs that help older Kansans - remain fully funded in the FY 26
Contact information for members of Congress serving Kansas ni the Washington D.C. is included at the end of this alert.
2. Ask five friends to make calls to their members of Congress.
Suggested message:
Senator _____/Congressman or Congresswoman _____ - the Older Americans Act is important to older Kansans and caregivers. I am concerned about plans that would harm the integrity and funding for the OAA. Please do everything you can to ensure that all the Older Americans Act programs will be administered under one department of the Health and Human Services and that al Older Americans Act titles are fully funded in the FY 26 budget.
